Book Review: The Boogie Barn Band

Reviewed by Jaylynn Korrell

A fun, instructive tale about the impact that music has on people

The best kids’ books are the ones that entertain and teach. The Boogie Barn Band does both. On top of that, it gives kids the opportunity to be vocal and active. It’s a positive, upbeat story about musical barn animals and how they bring their community together. 

In the beginning, music beckons animals from all around town to a local farm. Soon the Boogie Barn has quite an audience on their hands—all excited to jam out. 

To get the concert underway, readers are introduced to each member of the band and the instruments they play. Each character has their own flare, and they do a great job explaining the role they play and the sounds each instrument makes.

The vibe is upbeat, exciting, and fun, and it’s reflected well in vivid illustrations and an array of your kids’ favorite animals. The happiness exudes off each character so the positive experience can be had by all. You won’t be able to resist smiling after witnessing how much fun they’re having and the audience is having. Backed by a beautiful barn on a bright sunny day, this book seems the epitome of positivity. 

The authors of The Boogie Barn Band do an excellent job of adding in informative bits about the technical pieces of each instrument as well as its role in the music-making process. The drummer of the band, Reggie the dog, is described as the one in charge of keeping the beat with his instrument. From guitar to piano to bass, we learn about how the instruments are played and are given examples of the sounds they make. It inspires an activity too—I can just imagine how many kids will be laughing as they try to sound out how the instruments are supposed to sound.

The siren call of the music brings people together to have a good time. It speaks well to the impact of music and its ability to foster community. Not only is playing music fun and creative, but seeing that it brings people together can be a good reason for why your kid will want to get involved, both as a musician and an audience member.

Accompanying the book is the official Boogie Barn Band Song—a nice added treat! Just scan the bar code and watch your kids get all their wiggles out before bed time.  This book really is the whole package. For those who want to inspire their kids to fall in love with music—and to teach them all about it along the way—this will prove to be a rockin’ good time.

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